COLOR THE WORLD ORANGE™ FOR CRPS/RSD AWARENESS

COLOR THE WORLD ORANGE™ IS AN ANNUAL EVENT HELD THE FIRST MONDAY OF NOVEMBER TO SPREAD AWARENESS OF COMPLEX REGIONAL PAIN SYNDROME (CRPS), ALSO KNOWN AS REFLEX SYMPATHETIC DYSTORPHY (RSD).

#CRPSORANGEDAY™

COLOR THE WORLD ORANGE™ WILL ALLOW EVERYONE TOUCHED BY CRPS/RSD TO JOIN TOGETHER TO SPREAD GLOBAL AWARENESS OF THIS POORLY-UNDERSTOOD CONDITION.

Color The World Orange™ is an independent initiative and not associated with any organization.

HOW TO GET INVOLVED

THE EASIEST WAY TO CELEBRATE COLOR THE WORLD ORANGE, IS TO WEAR ORANGE!

Celebrating Color The World Orange 2014 in Australia

MAKE SURE TO TAKE A PICTURE AND POST IT TO SOCIAL MEDIA WITH THE HASHTAG: #CRPSORANGEDAY™

IN THE COMMUNITY

Send a letter to your local mayor, council member and governor asking for a proclamation naming November as CRPS/RSD awareness month.

Speak to your local newspaper or television station and ask them to run a story about CRPS/RSD.

Plan a CRPS/RSD restaurant night, where a portion of the profits can be donated to a CRPS/RSD non-profit organization.

Ask local businesses to hang signs advertising Color The World Orange™.

Ask local businesses to leave a basket of orange ribbons on the counter with a CRPS/RSD pamphlet.

Speak to a local nursery and see if it will donate an annual or tree — perhaps one with orange flowers — that can be planted in your town. Plan a ceremonial planting with a local official.

Apply to turn your local landmark orange on Color The World Orange™.

Ask your company to leave a basket of orange ribbons in the office for employees to wear. Make sure to leave a CRPS/RSD pamphlet for colleagues to read.

Plan a Color The World Orange™ fun-run or walk. Encourage everyone to wear orange and award a prize to the person wearing the craziest orange costume.

Color The World Orange™ Proclamation Signing With The Governor of Iowa in 2014

AT SCHOOL

Plan an orange day at your school where all teachers and students wear orange.

Ask the school newspaper to publish an article about CRPS/RSD.

Dedicate a football or basketball game to CRPS/RSD awareness. Encourage fans to wear orange. Set up a booth outside the game with CRPS/RSD information.

Plan a bake sale and donate the proceeds to a CRPS/RSD non-profit organization.

If you are in college, get your sorority or fraternity, dorm or club involved. Set up a booth on campus to hand out information about CRPS/RSD.

Plan an event and raise money for a CRPS/RSD non-profit organization.

The SkyDance Bridge in Oklahoma City lit orange during Color The World Orange™ 2014

AT HOME

Change your social media backgrounds to display the Color The World Orange™ logos.

Encourage friends and family to wear orange and post pictures to social media using the hashtag: #CRPSORANGEDAY™.

Post one CRPS/RSD fact on social media every day in November.

Make orange cookies or orange cupcakes to give to family and friends.

Make orange ribbons to distribute to friends and family.

Orange ribbons handed out in Canada for Color The World Orange™ 2014

THESE ARE JUST A FEW SUGGESTIONS OF WAYS TO GET INVOLVED. BE CREATIVE AND HAVE FUN. WHETHER YOU WEAR AN ORANGE RIBBON OR PLAN A LARGE EVENT, YOUR PARTICIPATION WILL HELP TO SPREAD MUCH-NEEDED AWARENESS OF CRPS/RSD!

All photos used with permission.

SAVE THE DATE:
COLOR THE WORLD ORANGE™ 2015
NOVEMBER 2, 2015

THERE WERE SO MANY AMAZING EVENTS AND MOMENTS DURING THE FIRST COLOR THE WORLD ORANGE™ HELD NOV. 3, 2014.

THERE WERE ORANGE CUPCAKES, ORANGE COOKIES, ORANGE BEER, ORANGE FLOWERS, ORANGE SHIRTS, ORANGE SCARVES, ORANGE HATS, ORANGE SHORTS, ORANGE WIGS, ORANGE NECKLACES, ORANGE SOCKS, ORANGE SHOES, ORANGE PINS, ORANGE BALLOONS, COLOR THE WORLD ORANGE PARTIES AND ORANGE RIBBONS – LOTS AND LOTS OF ORANGE RIBBONS – INCLUDING SOME HANDED OUT AT A WEDDING! THERE WERE DOGS WEARING ORANGE, BABIES WEARING ORANGE, GRANDPARENTS WEARING ORANGE! WE RECEIVED PICTURES FROM GRADE SCHOOLS, HIGH SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES, INCLUDING A FRATERNITY. WE RECEIVED PICTURES FROM OFFICES SUPPORTING COLLEAGUES ACROSS THE U.S. MOST IMPORTANTLY WE RECEIVED PICTURES FROM ACROSS THE GLOBE OF PEOPLE COLORING THE WORLD ORANGE TO SPREAD AWARENESS OF CRPS/RSD!

LISA RAN THE NYC MARATHON IN AN ORANGE SHIRT THAT READ #CRPSORANGEDAY™ IN HONOR OF COLOR THE WORLD ORANGE™ AND CRPS AWARENESS. AMANDA COMPLETED A 200 MILE BIKE RIDE IN THE U.K. TO RAISE AWARENESS.

THERE WERE MULTIPLE NEWS ARTICLES IN THE U.S. AND U.K. ABOUT COLOR THE WORLD ORANGE™, AS WELL AS A MENTION DURING A COLORADO TELEVISION NEWS BROADCAST AND ON THE BBC.

BUILDINGS IN NEW YORK, CHICAGO, CLEVELAND, INDIANAPOLIS AND CHARLOTTE WERE LIT ORANGE FOR COLOR THE WORLD ORANGE™ AND CRPS/RSD AWARENESS. BRIDGES IN NEW YORK AND OKLAHOMA CITY, ALONG WITH A FOUNTAIN IN AUSTRALIA, WERE ALSO TURNED ORANGE. THERE WERE EVEN CRPS/RSD AWARENESS BILLBOARDS IN OKLAHOMA CITY!

POLITICIANS IN AUSTRALIA, THE U.K. AND THE U.S. HELPED SUPPORT COLOR THE WORLD ORANGE™ BY GRANTING PROCLAMATIONS, SENDING OUT PRESS RELEASES AND ADVERTISING THE EVENT ON SOCIAL MEDIA. IN THE U.S. THERE WERE 44 PROCLAMATIONS AND CITATIONS GRANTED, 20 FROM STATE GOVERNORS. COLOR THE WORLD ORANGE™ SUPPORTERS APPLIED FOR PROCLAMATIONS FROM THE GOVERNORS OF 48 OUT OF 50 STATES.
COLOR THE WORLD ORANGE™ SUPPORTERS RAISED MORE THAN $7,000 FOR THE NATIONAL NON-PROFIT RSDSA THAT IS RESTRICTED FOR RESEARCH. MORE THAN 1,000 TWEETS WERE SENT ABOUT COLOR THE WORLD ORANGE™ AND THERE WERE MORE THAN 800 INSTAGRAM POSTS.
CONGRATULATIONS ON A TRULY SUCCESSFUL EVENT!

CLICK HERE, TO DOWNLOAD THE COLOR THE WORLD ORANGE™ 2014 SIGN

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PHOTOS FROM COLOR THE WORLD ORANGE™ 2014

All photos used with permission.

RESPONSES TO COLOR THE WORLD ORANGE™ 2014

“What a great success we had today! Thank you for all of your hard work. I think this is the most exposure RSD/CRPS has ever had. Kudos to everyone!”
— Donna in New Jersey

“I’m so happy that we sufferers can spread awareness about this terrible disorder. I’m glad to say that I proudly wore my orange today and have been advocating and educating people all day. It’s been amazing to see how many people are genuinely interested in learning how to help. Thank you for helping us spread the word and I hope one day we will have a cure.”
— Angie from Tennessee

“Thank you for getting the word out about RSD. As someone who has dealt with RSD and all that comes with it for over a decade, it was empowering to see all of that orange…There are so many walks, dedicated days, etc. for other terrible diseases. Unless we all speak up, RSD will remain an invisible disease. Monday’s event was a long time coming. Thank you.”
— Beck from NY

“You’re so very appreciated by many. What you’re doing and sharing means tons to all of us; thank you. Seeing that on your page meant the world to me and for a few minutes made me forget I had pain. Thank you.”
— Cari in California

“’I just want to thank you for introducing Colour The World Orange to us all. It was an amazing day to educate people about this horrible illness.”
— Larissa in the U.K.

“Thanks so much…really appreciate all of your hard work. You are amazing.”
— Trudy in Australia

“I want to say, I believe this year WAS BY FAR the most organized and productive for elevating awareness. Great job.”
— Nancy from Michigan

Quotes used with permission.

CRPS/RSD 2014 AWARENESS PROCLAMATIONS

IN THE U.S. IN 2014, 44 PROCLAMATIONS AND CITATIONS WERE GRANTED, 20 FROM STATE GOVERNORS. CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF THE WONDERFUL COLOR THE WORLD ORANGE™ SUPPORTERS THAT MADE THIS POSSIBLE.

Thank you to these states for the CRPS/RSD Proclamations, Resolutions and Official Statements and Letters!

Thank you to these state general assemblies for the CRPS/RSD Citations!
Connecticut

Thank you to these states for the CRPS/RSD Citations!
Maryland

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COMPLEX REGIONAL PAIN SYNDROME (CRPS), ALSO KNOW AS REFLEX SYMPATHETIC DYSTROPHY (RSD), IS A CHRONIC PAIN CONDITION CHARACTERIZED BY CONTINUOUS, INTENSE, OFTEN BURNING, PAIN THAT IS OUT OF PROPORTION TO THE SEVERITY OF THE ORIGINAL INJURY. SYMPTOMS CAN INCLUDE CHANGES IN THE SKIN COLOR AND TEMPERATURE OF THE AFFECTED BODY PART, AS WELL AS SKIN SENSITIVITY, SWEATING AND SWELLING.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT CRPS/RSD, PLEASE VISIT THE NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH’S WEBSITE: CLICK HERE.

2015 PRESS RELEASE

Supporters Unite for Second Annual Color the World Orange™ for CRPS/RSD Awareness Nov. 2

New York, NY — April 14, 2015

The second annual Color The World Orange™, aimed at spreading awareness of complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS), also known as reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD), is Nov. 2, 2015. Held globally on the first Monday of November each year, the event is aimed at bringing recognition to this poorly understood pain disorder.

Across the globe supporters will be wearing orange and planning events to spread awareness of CRPS and raise funds to support research of this debilitating condition. For more information and to find events in your city, please visit us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ColorTheWorldOrange or at our website: www.colortheworldorange.com. The easiest way to get involved is to wear orange and post a picture to social media with the hashtag: #CRPSORANGEDAY. We will once again show the world that while we are in pain, we are strong.

The first annual Color The World Orange™ in 2014 was a huge success with events held globally to spread awareness of CRPS/RSD. Forty-four proclamations were obtained from U.S. states and cities recognizing Color The World Orange and November as CRPS/RSD awareness month. Buildings in New York, Chicago, Cleveland, Indianapolis and Charlotte were lit orange, as were bridges in New York, Oklahoma City and a fountain in Australia. There were even CRPS/RSD billboards in Oklahoma City. One supporter ran the 2014 New York City Marathon, while another completed a 200-mile bike ride through the U.K. There was media coverage in the U.S. and U.K., including mentions on a BBC radio show and on a Colorado television news program.